Last night I made the Burritos of Doom again, only it was more like Burritomageddon. Honestly, I don't understand how I can eat that stuff and not die, or at least develop an ulcer the size of an octopus.

"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens."("Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain.")-- Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805)Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.-- Philip K DickWhat happens when all the renewable energy runs out?-- Victoria AylingEnglish isn't much of a language for swearing. When I studied Ancient Greek I was delighted to discover a single word - Rhaphanidosthai - which translates roughly as "Be thou thrust up the fundament with a radish for adultery."

Joong/Zoonzi or sticky rice wrapped up in bamboo leaves . I made them from a recipe on Youtube , it was my first try . The first batch was a mess ; half burst open and all were misshaped by they tasted almost on the mark by the third and last try . I can now make ( after many hours and much cursing ) a pretty tetrahedral specimen that almost tastes like ones aunty made !

ChowMein wrote:Joong/Zoonzi or sticky rice wrapped up in bamboo leaves . I made them from a recipe on Youtube , it was my first try . The first batch was a mess ; half burst open and all were misshaped by they tasted almost on the mark by the third and last try . I can now make ( after many hours and much cursing ) a pretty tetrahedral specimen that almost tastes like ones aunty made !I

Ooooh. Never heard of those. They sound yum. What's the link to the video - I might have a go myself

ChowMein wrote:Joong/Zoonzi or sticky rice wrapped up in bamboo leaves . I made them from a recipe on Youtube , it was my first try . The first batch was a mess ; half burst open and all were misshaped by they tasted almost on the mark by the third and last try . I can now make ( after many hours and much cursing ) a pretty tetrahedral specimen that almost tastes like ones aunty made !I

Ooooh. Never heard of those. They sound yum. What's the link to the video - I might have a go myself

(They sound like a cousin to Japanese onigiri, of which I am fond).

CF

I just googled " how to make sticky rice dumplings youtube" and found a bunch of videos .

I watched them all since every video missed some little detail .I discovered that there is more than one method to wrap them .Much preparation is required beforehand : rinse and soak rice overnight as well any dried ingredients that one might use like shitake mushrooms ,mung beans , chick peas etc.One lady recommends washing the leaves then boiling them in baking soda to make the leaves more pliable .

The typical fillings are roast pork belly ( recipes are also on youtube ) which I get at the BBQ place and/or BBQ pork , chinese sausage , leftover chicken , BBQ duck if I am rich that day, mung beans , a dried shrimp ,a dried scallop , chestnuts , raw peanuts , salty duck egg ( if I can afford them , but I don't like them all that much , too salty ) , and slices of shitake mushrooms ( or whole).

Envelope rice with the shiny, slick side ( topside ) of the bamboo leaves so the cooked (giant) dumpling separates easily from the leaves . I found 6 or so different ways to wrap the zoongzi using 2,3 and four leaves , the more leaves used the bigger the dumpling , I like the tetrahedral shape which is the toughest ( IMO ) to make . BUT I DOOD IT !!!Don't forget to salt the cooking water .Wrapping the beasties was frustrating but you'll get the hang of it , keep the leaves damp , don't tie them too tightly because when the rice cooks and expands the bundles will burst and split leaving a sticky starchy coating over the whole batch , they taste fine , just looks messy but can simply be rinsed off .If the zoongzi are unwrapped carefully the leaves may be reused a few times since the leaves become easier to fold without splitting , however the leaves that impart a unique flavour and aroma to the rice will gradually lose potency .I recommend looking for them at your local Chinese bakery to see if what they should look and taste like , if you decide to make them you can avoid buying fillings you don't like .I like the savoury ones , they make a sweet vegan type that i don't like much .

I wouldn't be making these things myself if I could avoid it , it just happens that the bakery I went to closed three years ago and i can't find them . My aunties made excellent ones for the Dragon Boat Festival every year , but they stopped because it's so much work to make a batch .

I just found all the goodies I need to make a proper batch , it was all rather pricey .I am going to prepare my own piggy dishes to cut the cost in half , since my electrical rate is set all the cooking doesn't affect my bill .The roast pork belly with the crackling skin cost me $11.50 per pound , the BBQ pork was $7.50/lb. The salty duck egg yolks were $1 each .

I tried making the BBQ pork from a google search and it turned out OK , I'll try it again when I find a good youtube tutorial . The roast pork belly looks much more difficult to make but it will be worth the effort .The salty egg yolks takes 40 days to prepare , I am going to youtube in a minute to see how that is done .

1 Dip the raw eggs in cooking wine2 Coat the eggs in sea salt3 Place the coated eggs in a sealed plactic bag or ziplock 4 Place in a sealed container 5 Place the container in the fridge for 3 weeks minimum ( one source says 40 days so I am not certain how long they must stay salted , I suppose the extra time makes them super salty ).Also , separate the egg whites from the yolks. I wonder if the salty eggs whites might be good for making an omelette ?

A bowl of chili, with only one "L". At quarter to bloody midnight. With pickled habanero slices.

"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens."("Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain.")-- Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805)Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.-- Philip K DickWhat happens when all the renewable energy runs out?-- Victoria AylingEnglish isn't much of a language for swearing. When I studied Ancient Greek I was delighted to discover a single word - Rhaphanidosthai - which translates roughly as "Be thou thrust up the fundament with a radish for adultery."